Chapter I: Preface

I launch this little volume upon the great ocean of books, craving the indulgence of the kind reader for its shortcomings and imperfections, with the hope that it will not be viewed with a critic's eye, and that its imperfections may be charitably passed by. I have endeavored to relate my experiences in the great war of 1861-5 just as events occurred, as if I were detailing them to family or friends in private, or, as I have sometimes done in the past, at gatherings of veterans and friends during the past years.

The old huntsman delights to tell of his tracking game in the snow, the chase through the woods and fields of the fox, deer and bear; the old sailor spins his yarns of the adventures and perils of the deep; the old fisherman will sometimes tell a big fish tale, and the old soldier is wont to join in with the rest and tell of his life in camp and field. This last I have endeavored to do in the following pages after the lapse of many years. I might have spun out the story much longer, but believing that brevity is often the soul of writing, as well as of wit, I have endeavored to "be brief and to the point."

W. H. MORGAN.

_Floyd, Va._, January 23, 1911.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER I

Personal—Organization—Roll of company.

CHAPTER II

Enter the service—Trouble about arms.

CHAPTER III

On to Manassas—The 11th Regiment—The 1st Brigade.

CHAPTER IV

Battle of Blackburns Ford—The battle begins—The enemy driven back— Incidents of the battle.

CHAPTER V

Battle of First Manassas—General Johnston to the rescue—Gen. Kirby Smith turns the tide of battle—The Rebel Yell—Under shelling—The news of victory—The enemy not pursued—Gathering the spoils.

CHAPTER VI

To Centreville and Fairfax C. H.—Picket close to enemy—Exciting times on picket—Back to Centreville—The fight at Drainesville.

CHAPTER VII

Fall back from Centreville—The Peninsular campaign—Yorktown lines evacuated—The battle of Williamsburg—"Give it to them"—Into a hot fire— Colonel Garland wounded—Incidents of the battle—Garland and Kemper promoted.

CHAPTER VIII

Back to Richmond—Battle of Seven Pines—The brigade in reserve—Into the fight at double-quick—Incidents of the battle—On the picket lines.

CHAPTER IX

Seven days fights around Richmond—Battle of Gaines' Mill.

CHAPTER X

Second Manassas and Maryland campaign—Sharpsburg—Back to Virginia—From Winchester to Culpeper—To Fredericksburg.

CHAPTER XI

The battle of Fredericksburg—Kemper's Brigade in reserve—Spectacular scene—Behind Marye's Hill—Sharpshooting—At home; sad loss.

CHAPTER XII

To Richmond, Chester Station and Petersburg—To North Carolina—Back to Virginia at Suffolk—To Taylorsville—On to join General Lee.

CHAPTER XIII

Pennsylvania Campaign—Gettysburg—Back to Virginia—General Lee and the army of Northern Virginia.

CHAPTER XIV

To Taylorsville—At Chafin's Farm—To North Carolina again—Marching through swamps and sand—The capture of Plymouth—Companies C and G have serious experience—Incidents of the battle—The gunboat _Albemarle_—Col. James Dearing wins promotion—On to Washington, N. C.—Newberne again invested.

CHAPTER XV

Back to Petersburg, Va.—Beast Butler—The battle of Drewry's Bluff— General Gracie's courage—Into a heavy fire at close range—Col. Richard F. Maury—Yankee brigade captured—General Whiting's failure—The Yankee flags.

CHAPTER XVI

To Milford and to capture—Prisoner of war—On to Washington—To Fort Delaware.

CHAPTER XVII

To Fort Delaware—Short Rations—Song—Prison rules.

CHAPTER XVIII

Off for Charlestown—Alleged retaliation—On shipboard—Run aground—Short of water—In stockade—Under fire—Prison rules.

CHAPTER XIX

To Fort Pulaski—Rotten cornmeal and pickled rations—A plot laid.

CHAPTER XX

Back to Fort Delaware—Disappointment and great suffering—Deaths on ship and burials at sea.

CHAPTER XXI

Yankee infamy—Conduct of the war—Sherman's march through Georgia—The dismemberment of Virginia.

CHAPTER XXII

Lee's surrender—Lincoln's assassination—Out of prison and at home.

CHAPTER XXIII

Reconstruction and since.